Results of the Lancaster Lake, Cheboygan Co., Mi., survey performed July 16, 1997. An ecological investigation of a dystrophic, meso-eutrophic lake.

Abstract

A lake survey was performed on Lancaster Lake, Cheboygan Co., MI on July 16, 1997. The survey included analyses of the Lancaster Lake watershed, as well as the lake's chemistry, surface inputs and outputs, macrophytes, benthic invertebrates and planktonic communities. Lancaster Lake is a kettle hole lake with steep sides; its surface area is .17km2, with a maximum depth of 17.4m and mean depth of 8.6m. The data indicated that Lancaster Lake is a dystrophic, calcareous, meso-eutrophic lake. These features reflect the unique watershed which contains cedar swamps, sandy soils deposited over ancient limestone bedrock and agricultural lands. The phytoplankton community had low biomass supporting a large Daphnia population, yielding as inverted trophic pyramid based on biomass. Planktivores were not present in significant abundance in Lancaster Lake. The macrophytes present were diverse and most are common to meso-eutrophic lakes. The benthic invertebrates included predators (Odonata, Hemiptera, Diptera), grazers and collectors (Coleoptera, Ephemeroptera), shredders (Lepidoptera), omnivores (Amphipoda), scavengers (Isopoda) and herbivores (Gastropoda). Due to the diversity of macrophytes and number of feeding guilds of invertebrates, the littoral zone included the highest diversity in Lancaster Lake and yielded the most complex set of trophic interactions.